Tag Archives: homelessness

SF Connect is an organization full of people with stories. These stories include both the accounts of clients and their struggle for survival and the thoughts of the volunteers who had never interacted with anyone in the grips of severe poverty before. They also include the stories of those who have survived homelessness successfully and now tell about it from a different viewpoint.
One such story is that of a young gay man who lived in Sacramento prior to becoming part of the San Francisco homeless community. He and his lover became hooked on crystal meth and lost their jobs. The young man discovered that he was HIV positive and sick with Hepatitis C. Once a collegiate swimmer, he managed to get back into college in San Francisco and become part of the Associate Student Body.
Another and very different story concerns a man who served his country in Vietnam and lost the use of his right arm. He spent many years after Vietnam helping Veterans Connect, a branch of the project, which reaches out to veterans among the homeless population. He continues to help the project in many other areas to this day.
Project Homeless Connect also aids those who live on the margins of homelessness. One woman has struggled all her life with medical problems and joblessness. Moving to San Francisco, she found a place to stay with the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center before getting a housing referral in Hunter’s point. However, having a place to stay did not solve her numerous health problems and Project Homeless Connect has been able to help her find services she needs to stay healthy.
There are many stories both like and unlike these. A San Francisco volunteer and a Project Homeless Connect client often find that they have similar stories to tell. SF connect hopes to create happy endings for all people’s stories.